Waterfowl Hunting Resource Recommendations

[Deleted member 38069]

Ducks at a Distance is a great field ID resource. Best way to get good at it just by doing it. Over time you'll learn to rely as much, if not more, on profile than coloration for ID on the wing.

@Nameless Range, I'd buy a dozen really good decoys before I'd spend the same money on 3-4 dozen cheap decoys. Calling can be very overrated. I do it, but a really good caller isn't always an absolute necessity.

Mallard decoys with flocked heads! Learn the simple quack then wait until they're cupped!

 

[F250]

In the late 1970's I worked a waterfowl enforcement detail with a USF&W Special Agent on a National Wildlife Refuge. The guy was amazing at identifying ducks on the wing. Although I was an avid duck hunter, I felt like an idiot next to him. I vowed to educate myself, and be able to ID waterfowl proficiently. It took lots of studying and hours in the marsh. Over time I became the "go-to" guy for waterfowl within our Enforcement Division. New recruits were sent to me during waterfowl season to learn their birds and duck hunting techniques. I was detailed out-of-state on waterfowl related assignments. The Ducks at a Distance booklet is a great resource. Delta Waterfowl has published North American Waterfowl Identification Guide. The two authors are retired USF&W Special Agents. I worked many investigations with Pat. To the OP, I suggest studying every duck ID guide you can find, spend time in the field with binoculars, volunteer for any duck banding effort in your area.

 

[Europe]

The best way to get good at id is to look at a lot of ducks. You’ll start to pick out differences in head profile, wing beats, flight patterns, etc. Also, in flight you’re looking more for patterns of light and dark vs colors. Where are the light patches, where are the dark patches on the wing, etc. It does take quite a bit of practice, but you’ll get there.
And I second @JLS...that little Ducks at a Distance book has gotten people started for a long time now. You should be able to find one locally, but if not shoot me a PM.

good advise/information. Several provided good information for you, better than anything I can share with you as my knowledge came from following my grandfather and father around for years,

However (-;

Nameless range, one suggestion I would make for you is to change locations, as I agree with your dog-as hard as I look I can see no water (-;

 

[WalkingBird]

The best trick I’ve found professionally and in the blind for ducks is to spot the White. The location or absence of white feathers will really narrow down duck species in general, but will especially help at a distance.

For instance, if you’ve got a myriad of species on a particular lake, with ducks constantly flying by and you can’t focus on them with optics to ID them well at speed, if the white is on the leading edge of the wing, it’s a Wigeon, if it’s on the trailing edge, it’s a Gadwall, if it’s 2 parallel lines on the speculum, it’s a mallard. If it’s all black with a noticeable tail and starkly yellow/orange bill, it’s a cormorant. Many bird books and resources show how to identify birds when they’re loafing, where you can bring optics to bear and get a good visual. But it usually takes some practice to get it figured out on the wing, especially when they’re backpedaling at 15 yards and you’ve got to decide if it’s a black duck or a hen mallard

 

[Nameless Range]

Tons of good advice. Thank you all.

@Europe, you’re right. Step 1, don’t hunt ducks in the sage brush!

 

[Duck-Slayer]

I’m a forum guy.... that said most waterfowl forums are not that good. Here at 2 that I like, the refuge and duck hunting chat.
Matt

 

[Deleted member 38069]

This took me a few seasons of rigging and preparation of my spread but...

Use Texas Rigs!

Easy and simple deployment and clean up!!

 

[Deleted member 38069]

Remember the whole addiction comment...

Your wishlists will be full of waterfowl gear!

 

[WalkingBird]

I tried the forums a bit when I was trying to learn, but other than talking with local guys who knew what they were doing, along with a lot of trial and error, I enjoyed watching Youtube and DVDs. I looked at what guys were running, how their spreads were set etc, it may not have been expressly said in the video, but I would try and look into the background and gather what I could. Scott Threinein's (sp?) Goose Society and Duck Society videos have tons of information, as well as some by Big Sean where he would break down his spread and show why they did things a certain way. My personal favorite was Shawn Stahl and his Fowl Pursuit series, but I was more into goose hunting than ducks until right before I moved to AZ, and I was spending way more time in the marsh rather than the dry fields

 

[Irrelevant]

I'd take 4 good dekes with one being on a jerk cord, over anything else. Especially late season.

 

[JLS]

I'd take 4 good dekes with one being on a jerk cord, over anything else. Especially late season.

A jerk cord on still water is worth more than calling, IMO.

 

[Nick87]

A jerk cord on still water is worth more than calling, IMO.

Yup, and mojos still work imo. Especially at first light and especially with wood ducks.

 

[Nick87]

Speaking of which do you guys see many wood ducks in Montana or Wyoming?

 

[JLS]

Speaking of which do you guys see many wood ducks in Montana or Wyoming?

Yeah, but it seems like they blow out early. A couple of rivers have pretty good numbers.

 

[ida homer]

A jerk cord on still water is worth more than calling, IMO.

1000%.

Goose flapper, meh.
Mojo, meh.
Goose flag, meh.

Jerk rigs are game changers.

 

[ida homer]

This is our usual go to. 2 dozen quality decoys, the big jerk rig and 1 butts up pulsator. Not overly cheap but not a million dollars either.
Damn that was a fun day!

 

[Treeshark]

Decoy quantity and especially calling skills are often overrated in my opinion, especially hunting small water (usually walk-in) sets that I tend to hunt. The key is to set those decoys in a spot where the ducks want to be. Really no secret to share there, other than to scout spots you’re thinking of hunting at first and last light. You will usually see where the ducks want to be. Best part is that you can often do this scouting from the road.

Waders, shotgun, backpack with a box of shells/dozen deeks/one mojo duck and you will get ducks if you find where the ducks want to be. It’s way harder to try to convince them otherwise.

As far as duck ID, spring is a really good time to hone your craft because their plumage is at its peak. Once you watch ducks flying a bit, you will start to be able tell species by their size, flight speed, wing beat cadence etc... Main species I see here in WI- mallards look big and slower, woodies look medium, dark with a distinguishable tail, blue-wing teal look like tiny missiles and green-wing teal look a lot like a wood duck only lighter, less “chunky” with a less noticeable tail. Drake vs hen is hard earlier in the season, if you aren’t certain don’t shoot. Early drakes often don’t have a green head, look for chestnut colored breast on drake vs mottled on a hen. Early teal sex doesn’t matter, woodies tend to plume out earlier and I wait for obvious drakes if I’ve already shot my allotment of hens.

This turned into a longer post than I thought, I do like duck hunting though!

 

[Deleted member 38069]

This is our usual go to. 2 dozen quality decoys, the big jerk rig and 1 butts up pulsator. Not overly cheap but not a million dollars either.
Damn that was a fun day!

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Nice pintail!

 

[Treeshark]

Agreed! All those bright green heads and the first things my eye caught was that Pintail too. We get ‘em here but they’re never that nice.

 

[Deleted member 38069]

This is our usual go to. 2 dozen quality decoys, the big jerk rig and 1 butts up pulsator. Not overly cheap but not a million dollars either.
Damn that was a fun day!

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...and sharp looking Pup!